Take ‘em away, take ‘em away, Lord
Take away these chains from me
My heart is broken ‘cause my spirit’s not free
Lord take away these chains from me

Some birds’ feathers are too bright to be caged
I know I’m not that colorful but a bird just the same
Open up your gate now, let me put down my load
So I can feel at ease and go back to my home

Take ‘em away, take ‘em away, Lord
Take away these chains from me
My heart is broken ‘cause my spirit’s not free
Lord take away these chains from me

Sun beatin’ down my legs can’t seem to stand
There’s a boss man at a turn row with a rifle in his hand
I've got nine children, nothin’ in the pan
My wife she died hungry while I was plowin’ land

Take ‘em away, take ‘em away, Lord
Take away these chains from me
My heart is broken ‘cause my spirit’s not free
Lord take away these chains from me

Can’t see when I go to work, can’t see when I get off
How do you expect a man not to get lost
Every year I just keep getting deeper in debt
If there’s a happy day, Lord, I haven’t seen one yet

Take ‘em away, take ‘em away, Lord
Take away these chains from me
My heart is broken ‘cause my spirit’s not free
Lord take away these chains from me

Land that I love is the land that I’m workin’
But it’s hard to love it all the time when your back is a-hurtin’
Gettin’ too old now to push this here plow
Please let me lay down so I can look at the clouds

Take ‘em away, take ‘em away, Lord
Take away these chains from me
My heart is broken ‘cause my spirit’s not free
Lord take away these chains from me

Land that I know is where two rivers collide
The Brazos, the Navaso, and the big blue sky
Flood plains, freight trains, watermelon vines
Of any place on God’s green earth, this is where I choose to die

Take ‘em away, take ‘em away, Lord
Take away these chains from me
My heart is broken ‘cause my spirit’s not free
Lord take away these chains from me